Night had fallen.
The streets were quiet.
Kai stood in front of a small shop, his hood pulled low over his face.
His body still ached from the beating.
Bruises.
Cuts.
Pain.
But his eyes were calm.
Cold.
He stepped inside the shop.
"Can I help you?" the cashier asked.
Kai looked around before picking up a simple black mask.
"This."
Minutes later…
Kai walked out.
The mask covered the lower half of his face.
No one would recognize him.
"…Now we're even," he muttered.
—
A few streets away…
Two of the students from the ambush laughed as they walked home.
"Did you see his face?"
"Yeah, he didn't even fight back."
They laughed again.
Then—
"Didn't fight back?"
A voice came from behind them.
They froze.
Slowly, they turned around.
A figure stood in the darkness.
Hood up.
Black mask on.
Eyes glowing faintly in the shadows.
"Who are you?" one of them asked.
Kai stepped forward.
"You'll remember me."
Before they could react—
He disappeared.
BAM!
A punch slammed into the first student's stomach.
The boy dropped instantly.
The second one activated his power—
Too slow.
CRACK!
Kai struck his arm, breaking his stance.
A kick followed.
Then another.
And another.
The fight wasn't long.
It wasn't even fair.
The same way it wasn't fair when they attacked him.
Kai grabbed one of them by the collar and lifted him slightly.
"You enjoyed it, right?" he said coldly.
The student trembled.
"W-we didn't know—"
BAM!
Kai slammed him into the ground.
Silence.
Both of them lay there, barely conscious.
Half-dead.
Kai stood over them, breathing slowly.
His eyes glowed red again.
But this time…
He didn't stop it immediately.
"…This is just the beginning," he said quietly.
He turned and walked away into the darkness.
—
High above the street…
On a rooftop…
Someone had been watching the entire fight.
A familiar voice spoke.
"So… this is your real self."
Lightning flickered in the darkness.
A smile appeared.
"The Hidden King…"
"I finally found you."